Novelty toy or exercising device



April 20, 1926. J. .J. DAHLSTROM NOVELTY TOY OR EXERGISING DEVICE Filed Oct. 24 1924 John J whmwm 45 103M fi-gfl Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

tJNlT STATES PATET NOVELTY TOY 0R EXERCISING- DEVICE.

Application filed October 24, 1924. Serial No. 745,652.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. DAHLSTROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Novelty Toys or Exercising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toy or novelty exercising devices and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and more efficient in use than those which have been heretofore proposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy or exercising device which takes the form of an animal, such for example as a horse, in which the parts are so constructed and arranged that by a to-andfro rocking movement of the rider the ani mal may be made to progress over the supporting surface.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the toy or exercising device'constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the parts in one position; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in another position.

Referring more particularly to the said drawing, 5 indicates the body portion of the animal, which may be constructed of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and here shown as simultating the body of a horse. The said body portion 5 has rigidly attached to it the hind leg elements 6 which, as is clear from the drawings, are substantially right angular when viewed in side elevation. The lower and forwardly projecting horizontal portions 7 of these elements 6 are provided with lower curved surfaces 8 which are normally maintained out of engagement with the supporting surface 9 by means of rollers 10 journaled adjacent the forward end of the portions 7.

The forward portion of the body member 5 is provided with a pivot 11 upon which is mounted a member 12 which may be fashioned to simulate the head and neck of the animal and to which is rigidly secured the front leg elements 13. These elements always assume a substantially right angular form projecting rearward when viewed in s-ide elevation, and their lower surfaces 1% are likewise curved as indicated and normally maintained out of engagement with the supporting surface 9 by means of the rollers 15 journaled substantially as indicated.

The body portion 5 may be provided with a suitable seat or saddle 16, while the head portion 12 is preferably provided with a pair of hand-holds 17 as indicated.

When in use the child or person seats himself in the saddle 16 and grasps the rings or hand-holds 17 in each hand. At this point the parts are substantially in the positions shown in Fig. 1. Now if the person sways backward in the saddleto shift the center of gravity to the right of the axis of the rollers 10, the device will pivot about the axis of the said rollers until the lower curved surface 8 of the hind leg members 6 contacts with the supporting surface 9, as indicated in Fig. 2. At the. same time the natural tendency of the operator will be to pull bacl wards upon the rings 17, which will have the effect of moving the head portion 12 about its pivot 11, thereby bringing the forward parts into the position shown in Fig. 2 with the extreme ends 18 of the front leg members 13 into contact with the supporting surface 9, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that in this position the distance between the adjacent ends of the leg members 6 and 13 has been somewhat increased over the same distance when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and if the operator now sways forward in the saddle to again shift the center of gravity toward the left, the tendency of the device will be to fulcrum upon the ends 18 of the front leg members and drag the hind leg members toward the left. This action will be facilitated due to the fact that the rollers 10 are still in contact with the supporting surface and therefore the friction of the hind leg members upon the supporting surface 9 will be less than that of the front leg members 13 upon the said surface. The said front leg members will of course be lowcred, riding upon the curved surface 14:, until ultimately the forward rollers 15 contact with the supporting surface 9 whereupon the momentum of the parts will be su'tiicient to cause the toy to roll a short distance upon the rollers 10 and 15.

If the above movements of the rider backward and forward are repeated with proper frequency, the animal may be caused to constantly move forward upon the supporting surface in a series of movements. 7

The device may also, of course, be-propelled over the supporting surface 9, if desired, by merely allowing the feet of the rider to rest upon the said surface, the parts at all times remaining in substantially the positionsshown in Fig. 1, and the propulsion being accomplished by alternately mov ing the feet upon the supporting surface as though the rider were walking.

Vhile one form of the invention has been illustrated. and described, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the precise arrangement of parts witl'iout departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claim. Y

What is claimed is:

In a toy of the class described, a body portion having rectangularly bent hind leg elements rigid therewith, said legs having lower curved surfaces adapted to engage and fulcrum upon a fixed supporting surface; a head and neck portion pivotally secured to said body, having reversely angularly shaped front elements rigid therewith, said front legs also having lower curved surfaces adapted to engage and fulcrum upon said supporting surface; and rollers carried adjacent the forward portions'of both said front and hind leg elements for normally maintaining their curved surfaces out of engagement with said supporting surface.

JOHN JAMES DAHLSTROM. 

